Pharma in 2012: Boom or Bust?

LONDON and BOSTON, March 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

EP Vantage^®, EvaluatePharma^®'s award-winning editorial team, today released its "2012 Year in Review" report. Despite numerous ups and downs, the sector exited on a positive note, giving hope that 2013 might be the start of sustained recovery.

According to the report, Biotech stocks stormed ahead with the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index up 32 percent; valuations not seen since the start of the fiscal crisis. Significant fundraising also occurred in the sector as quarterly data revealed that the final three months of 2012 saw $1.4 billion raised, marking the best quarter since Q4 2009. On the downside, acquisitions and product deal activity remained stubbornly low, especially in Europe.

The report also examines the year's record number of FDA approvals for novel medicines and the impact this has had on R&D productivity. The regulator approved 43 novel biologic or small-molecule agents in 2012, up from 35 in 2011 and 26 in 2010. As for the patent cliff, branded drugs with annual sales of $33.2 billion in 2011 lost patent protection last year, leaving those revenues exposed to cheap generics.

To view the full "2012 Year in Review" report, go to http://www.evaluatepharma.com/EPVReview2012

"If there was one thing that defined 2012 it had to be the return of investors' appetite for risk. We saw this both in the amount of money raised during the year and also the valuations achieved by US biotechs. While there is an argument that the US biotech sector is in danger of becoming overvalued, I think that the green shoots seen in 2012 will continue to grow in 2013. We have already seen some big ticket drug launches in the form of Kadcyla and still have other potential blockbusters like Tecfidera waiting in the wings," commented Lisa Urquhart, Editor EP Vantage.

Examining the successes and failures that took place across the industry, the "2012 Year in Review" includes answers to:

• Market Performance:
  • Who were the large, mid and small cap winners and losers in 2012?

• VC Funding:
  • Who raised the most amount of money in 2012?
  • How many total transactions occurred?

• Licensing Deals:
  • Where did the $20.9bn spent by big pharma go last year and how many deals were struck?

• M&A Transactions:
  • Which acquisition was one of the biggest since 2000?

• R&D:
  • Has the quality of approved products improved over the last 10 years and which products were the most successful in 2012?

• Patent Cliff:
  • Who fell off and who had the softest and hardest landings?
  • How much money was lost to generics in 2012?

About EP Vantage

Written by a team of award winning pharma journalists, EP Vantage provides daily financial analysis of key industry catalysts including: regulatory and patent decisions, marketing approvals, licensing deals, and M&A - giving fresh angles and insight to both current and future industry triggers.

Launched in 2007 by EvaluatePharma, EP Vantage's unique access to EvaluatePharma data allows unrivaled, forward-looking, coverage of the pharmaceutical and biotech industry.

About Evaluate Ltd.

Since 1996, EvaluatePharma has been the premier source for high quality life science sector analysis, delivering exclusive consensus forecasts and trusted commercial insight into biotech and pharmaceutical performance. EvaluateMedTech sets a new standard in integrated analysis and consensus forecasts of the global medical device and diagnostic industry. EvaluateClinical Trials delivers unique intelligence to efficiently and accurately analyze the global clinical trial landscape.  A team of over 85 dedicated healthcare analysts employ rigorous methodologies to collate, organize and deliver the most-up-to-date commercial performance data available. The Evaluate services enable the life science community to make sound business decisions about value and opportunity. For more information please visit http://www.EvaluatePharma.com.

Media Contacts:
EP Vantage and EvaluatePharma
Christine Lindgren
+1-617-866-3906
[email protected]

Chempetitive Group
Erik Clausen or Rachel Lear
+1-781-775-3640
[email protected]

SOURCE Evaluate Ltd.